When Eric Zerbe arrived at Quattro in the summer of 2014, he brought more than his creative talents to the agency. It wasn’t long before Eric introduced Quattro employees to ASCEND, The Asperger and Autism Alliance for Greater Philadelphia. ASCEND is a nonprofit organization located in Media, PA, helping create “a community of support for families, individuals and professionals” for those connected to Asperger’s and autism. And when Eric brought ASCEND to Quattro, it was perfect timing.
The philanthropic arm of Quattro, better known as the Quattro Cares initiative, is always seeking ways to give back to organizations that mean something to our employees. And when Eric brought ASCEND to the team, we happened to be seeking a new organization to direct our attention toward. So how were Quattro’s philanthropy efforts going to support ASCEND? Eric had the answer. “ASCEND’s social media program is sporadic and their digital experiences could use an audit.” While all of these updates were needed, ASCEND’s top business initiative was to gain the attention and membership of more young adults on the autism spectrum, transitioning out of school and into the next stage of their life.
Quattro decided the best way to do this was to provide ASCEND with the tools needed to create accessible knowledge that’s easily digestible and well-promoted across properly managed social media channels.
Read our Q&A with Eric to understand more about his connection to the organization and to get more insight into the ASCEND story.
Q: Why was it important for you to have Quattro become involved with ASCEND?
A: ASCEND is eager in their outreach to young adults and young professionals as their new and upcoming target audience. This is an area and age group where a media presence or platform is crucial in order to reach those types of individuals. This is an area where I felt that we (Quattro) could help them improve.
Q: Has ASCEND personally impacted you?
A: It has. Every Saturday morning, Dr. Ginger Rowan, a board member of ASCEND, hosts a series of therapy classes at her office called “Let’s Go Play.” My son and I attend a LEGO class for children on the spectrum. The kids work as a team, each assigned a different role. This activity teaches teamwork and social interaction, and polishes their overall dexterity. Classes like these significantly improve the skills of children on the spectrum and help diminish social ineptitude. My son’s even made a great friend out of it.
Q: How do you think Quattro’s contributions will impact ASCEND?
A: We want to provide an informed communications plan; there are many different formats the plan might take. But no matter how we approach it, I see Quattro offering ASCEND guidance and creating more exposure, funding, and memberships.
Q: In what way has Quattro’s relationship with ASCEND grown?
A: From the first time we invited Dr. Rowan to our office, the Quattro team has been eager to help ASCEND. We first provided an eight-page Social Listening report, covering conversation surrounding the organization and topics related to it. Dr. Rowan was blown away. She took the report to her board and they unanimously decided to create a relationship with Quattro. Our hope is to give them an all-encompassing communications plan to help them grow and expand within the community as well as reach their target audiences in a unique way.
This is just the beginning. The philanthropy team here at Quattro will continue to build on this relationship, helping ASCEND reach its noble, worthy goals. And it all stemmed from a personal and meaningful connection one of our employees had with the cause. The Quattro team looks forward to future scenarios in which we can continue to provide services just like this.